Located in the Pennine hills, the hamlet consists of a few houses spread along a road in the pattern of a linear settlement.

[3] Along with the rest of the former Startforth Rural District it was transferred to County Durham for administrative and ceremonial purposes on 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Tees forms almost all the northern parish boundary; the River Lune its eastern and Blea Beck its western.

Agriculture began in the Neolithic period, and the remains of a Bronze Age hut circle and burial cairns are on Holwick Fell.

[9] Evidence of a native settlement in Roman times in the form of groups of circular huts and field system has been found west of the Wynch Bridge.

[13] The parish falls within the Barnard West electoral division of County Durham district and Bishop Auckland UK Parliament constituency.